Vista SP1 issue - please help

I read the instructions in the PC Advisor magazine about installing SP1 and they mentioned three critical updates needed before installing. I don't have an internet connection and have been going to friend to download things I need. Then I transfer them on a memory stick and install them. I downloaded most of the stuff I need, but I can't download KB935509. It wants a validation, which my friend's PC is not allowing (security settings) and then wants to run the update, not save it. Not sure if I can get it any other way. What should I do? I don't want to fiddle with my friend's setup too much.

 

That particular update only applies to Windows Vista Ultimate or Enterprise. So if you don't have either of these you do not need it.

 

Oh dear, now I in even more trouble!!

As I don't have an internet connection I am trying to install the updates manually by downloading them on someone else's computer and then taking them to my computer on a removable pen drive. If I do it this way, I need to be really sure that I am installing only the correct things and make sure I install all the things I require before I update SP1!

I have Vista Home Premium. What should I do? How do I find out exactly what I need to install, or should I not do it at all.

 

Download the standalone SP1 installer, you wont need the 3 pre-requisite with this as its already included in there

It should be around 400mb big. Get it from the MS website

 

Yeah, use the standalone.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6D-5EBB-413B-89C9-CB3D06D12674&displaylang=en

 

Thank you guys.

 

Hi.

any way to intergrate this into a Vista disk.

Thanks

John.

 

I am still being told on other forums, including the microsoft discussion groups, that you still have to install the prerequisite updates before SP1, even if you use the standalone. I'm not sure what to do, cause I keep getting conflicting advice.

 

They are idiots. The whole point of the standalone installer is to have everything up to date

Ive had success from a clean install then using the standalone installer without using Windows Update.

I think the reason they are telling you to do the 3 pre-requisite updates is because those updates make sure your system/drivers is 100% compatible with SP1. If it isnt, those updates will stop SP1 showing from WU

My system isnt even compatible with SP1 yet i forced installed it with the standalone installer like other users and had very successful results

 

Why can't people just try it and see? I have never heard a machine got the BSD cuz installing an update before a previous update.

 

If you want to "just try it", make sure you have a good backup first. There are first hand reports right here on the forum of folks having to reinstall the OS because they did a force install of SP1.

I am an MCSP and go SP1 through my MSDN subscription before the "bad" driver stuff even surfaced. I imaged the drive and applied SP1, without incident too. I latter found out I had one of the "bad" drivers. I was able to update it without incident, after the fact. Like flipfire, I was lucky and had no problems. Others have not been so lucky. That's why I always suggest imaging the C: partition first. The extra few minutes can save your a$$.

Gary

 

Yeah its a good idea to backup your stuff before any major updates anyway. If SP1 really isnt compatible with your system, it wont even install.

The reason your seeing alot of first hand reports here is because this is where people go when they have problems.

 

If you use the standalone installer it will NOT check for bad drivers at all, that is what got some folks into trouble.

I don't want to leave the impression that there were a "lot of first hand reports" that is NOT the case. I never said that. I only said that there were enough cases for folks to be careful and have a backup. I agree it is a good idea to always do this. I do it before I install just about anything. It takes twenty minutes. I start it up and go have dinner. Then when I come back I can play to my hearts content, smugly knowing that I can get back to a known good state even if the machine chokes and even System Restore can't roll back.

Gary

 

SP1 should be compatible with all systems, there are no XP1 for this system and XP2 for another system!

 

No one has suggested there was. What gave you the impression that someone thought there was???

Gary

 

Yes SP1 is compatible with all systems, but some drivers are not compatible with SP1.

 

Ok, I understand, but some have said that although some drivers aren't compatible the installation has been successfully.

Do we have a list of those incompatible drivers?

 

Yes, there is a Microsoft knowledge base article that spells it out. It is mentioned here in several threads. I don't have the number committed to memory.

Gary

 

Based on your "rep" points, you should have just googled / searched NBR about this.

 

If I didn't miss something here let me assure you that updating to SP1 can FUBAR your computer. This is why MS has come out w/ a pre-pre-install for it and I speak from first hand experience. The original pre-install can cause your update to go through an endless loop of 3 of 3 updates 0% complete -> reboot. I'd suggest that when dealing w/ MS caution, backing up, and research are your best bets to avoid major pain!!

 

What software do you use to image your drive?

 

Hi.

you can try this one free one, I posted your disk this morning.

http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

regards

John.

 

Thank you again. Still can't give you more rep points!! So here is a big smile instead.

 

I use an old copy of Ghost 2003. Whatever app you chose, just make sure it is able to be run from a bootable cd or dvd. That way if your machine is in an unbootable state, you can still recover.

Gary

 

Do you know if ImgBurn will make a bootable copy?

 

Sorry I have no idea.

Gary